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Regarding India's first solar observatory, 2026 is expected to be like no other.

This marks the initial occasion the observatory – that entered in orbit last year – can watch the Sun when it reaches the peak of its solar cycle.

As per research, this occurs approximately every 11 years as the Sun's polarity reverses – a similar Earth scenario could be the North and South poles changing places.

This period marked by intense activity. It involves the Sun transition from calm to stormy and features a significant rise in the frequency of solar eruptions and massive solar flares – enormous clouds of fire that blow out of the Sun's outermost layer.

Composed of charged particles, a CME can weigh up to a trillion kilograms and reach velocities of up to 3,000km each second. It can travel toward various directions, even toward our planet. At maximum velocity, the journey takes an ejection 15 hours to traverse the vast distance Earth-Sun distance.

"During typical or low-activity times, the Sun emits two to three CMEs daily," explains an astrophysics expert. "In 2026, we expect them to be over ten each day."

Researching coronal mass ejections ranks among the most important research goals of India's maiden solar mission. Firstly, because the ejections provide an opportunity to learn about the star at the centre of our solar system, and two, since events that take place on the Sun endanger systems on Earth and in space.

Impacts on Earth and Orbital Systems

CMEs seldom present immediate danger to people, but they do affect our planet by causing geomagnetic storms affecting conditions in Earth's vicinity, where about 11,000 satellites, including Indian satellites, orbit.

"The most spectacular displays of a CME include northern lights, which are a clear example that charged particles from our star are travelling to Earth," the scientist explains.

"But they can also make all the electronics aboard spacecraft malfunction, knock down power grids and affect meteorological and telecom spacecraft."

Past Solar Incidents

• The strongest solar storm in history was the 1859 solar superstorm that disabled communication systems across the globe
• In 1989, a part of Quebec's power grid failed, leaving millions without power for nine hours
• In November 2015, solar storms disrupted flight operations, causing disruption across Scandinavia and some other European airports
• Recently in 2022, a CME had led to 38 commercial satellites failing

If we are able to see events in the solar atmosphere and spot solar activity or a coronal mass ejection in real time, measure its heat at the source and watch its path, it can work as a forewarning to shut down electrical systems and spacecraft redirecting them out of harm's way.

The Mission's Special Capability

There are other solar missions watching our star, Aditya-L1 holds an edge over others regarding watching the corona.

"The instrument is the exact size that lets it effectively simulate the Moon, completely blocking the Sun's photosphere permitting continuous observation of almost all solar atmosphere 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, even during eclipses and occultations," notes the researcher.

In other words, this instrument functions as an artificial Moon, obscuring the solar glare allowing researchers continuously observe its faint outer corona – a feat natural eclipses provide only during eclipses.

Additionally, it's unique capable of examining eruptions using optical wavelengths, letting it determine eruption heat and thermal output – crucial data that show the intensity a CME would be if it headed our direction.

Preparation for Peak Period

To prepare for next year's solar maximum, researchers collaborated analyzing the data gathered from a major solar eruption recorded by the mission has recorded until now.

It originated in September 2024 during early hours. The eruption's weight totaled billions of tons – for comparison that struck the ship was 1.5 million tonnes.

Initially, its temperature reached extreme levels and the energy content was equivalent to 2.2 million megatons of explosives – in comparison nuclear weapons on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were much smaller in scale respectively.

Although these figures seem incredibly large, the scientist classifies it as a "medium-sized" one.

The asteroid which wiped out the dinosaurs on our planet was 100 million megatons and when solar peak occurs, there may be CMEs carrying power equal to even more than that.

"I consider the CME we evaluated happened when the Sun was in the normal activity phase. Now this sets the standard that we'll be using assessing what to expect when the maximum activity cycle arrives," he states.

"The learnings gained will help us developing the countermeasures to implement to protect satellites in near space. They will also help achieving a better understanding of near-Earth space," he concludes.